Application Guide
How to Apply for Chief of Staff
at The Environmental Defense Fund
🏢 About The Environmental Defense Fund
The Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) is a leading global environmental nonprofit known for its science-based, market-driven approach to solving the world's toughest environmental challenges. With a focus on collaboration with businesses, governments, and communities, EDF has a track record of impactful results, from reducing methane emissions to protecting oceans. If you want to drive systemic change at scale while working alongside top scientists, economists, and policy experts, EDF offers a unique platform for impact.
About This Role
As Chief of Staff to the President and Executive Director, you will be the right hand to the CEO, shaping strategic priorities, ensuring organizational alignment, and driving cross-functional initiatives. This role is pivotal in translating vision into action, managing board relations, and fostering a culture that reflects EDF's values. You'll have a direct hand in accelerating environmental solutions by optimizing the leadership team's effectiveness and advancing key projects.
💡 A Day in the Life
A typical day might start with a morning briefing with the President to review the day's priorities, followed by a meeting with the board chair to prepare for an upcoming governance discussion. You could then facilitate a cross-functional working group on a new climate initiative, draft talking points for the President's speech, and wrap up by reviewing the executive team's project tracker to ensure alignment on key milestones.
🚀 Application Tools
🎯 Who The Environmental Defense Fund Is Looking For
- A seasoned strategic advisor with 15+ years of progressive experience, including at least a few years as a Chief of Staff or in a senior advisory role within a complex, matrixed organization (nonprofit, government, or corporate).
- A master of executive communication, able to write in the President's voice, distill complex issues into clear briefs, and manage sensitive stakeholder relationships with exceptional judgment and political acuity.
- A systems thinker who can align diverse teams around strategic priorities, drive organizational culture, and improve governance infrastructure—all while maintaining a focus on measurable environmental outcomes.
- A collaborative leader with a track record of managing high-stakes board relations, leading internal communications, and executing special initiatives that cut across functions like policy, science, and fundraising.
📝 Tips for Applying to The Environmental Defense Fund
Tailor your resume to highlight specific examples of strategic alignment and cross-functional leadership—quantify impact where possible, such as 'led a cross-departmental initiative that reduced time-to-decision by 30%.'
In your cover letter, explicitly connect your experience to EDF's mission: mention a specific environmental issue EDF works on (e.g., climate, oceans, health) and how your skills can advance that work.
Leverage your network to find a current or former EDF employee for an informational interview—ask about the President's leadership style and the biggest challenges facing the executive team.
When asked for writing samples, provide a memo or brief that demonstrates your ability to write in an executive's voice and synthesize complex information for a strategic audience.
Prepare to discuss how you've handled board dynamics or governance improvements in previous roles, as this is a core responsibility at EDF.
✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter
['Your ability to serve as a strategic partner to a CEO, shaping priorities and ensuring alignment across a complex organization.', 'Specific experience with board relations, including trustee engagement, governance, and managing board committees.', 'Your track record in driving organizational culture and internal communications, especially in a mission-driven environment.', 'Concrete examples of leading cross-functional special initiatives that delivered measurable results, ideally related to environmental or social impact.']
Generate Cover Letter →🔍 Research Before Applying
To stand out, make sure you've researched:
- → Read EDF's latest annual report and strategic plan to understand their top priorities, such as methane reduction, climate resilience, or sustainable fisheries.
- → Review the President and Executive Director's recent speeches, op-eds, or interviews to understand their communication style and key messages.
- → Study EDF's organizational structure, including the roles of the executive team and board committees, to understand where the Chief of Staff fits.
- → Look into EDF's culture and values—especially their commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion—and how they are operationalized.
💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics
Based on this role, you may be asked about:
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Don't submit a generic cover letter that doesn't mention EDF's specific mission or recent initiatives—this signals lack of genuine interest.
- Avoid overemphasizing your own achievements without connecting them to how you've enabled others or advanced organizational goals—this role is about partnership.
- Don't underestimate the importance of political acuity and discretion—avoid discussing confidential situations in interviews without anonymizing or generalizing appropriately.
📅 Application Timeline
This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.
Typical hiring timeline:
Application Review
1-2 weeks
Initial Screening
Phone call or written assessment
Interviews
1-2 rounds, usually virtual
Offer
Congratulations!
Ready to Apply?
Good luck with your application to The Environmental Defense Fund!